Final lap seals mile victory for Silva

RBV's Jarvis wins 3,200-meter race

ARCADIA – “I've been trying to lay low – until now,” said Sammy Silva with a grin.

Unleashing a torrid sub-70 second final lap, the Harvard-bound senior from Our Lady of Peace roared into the lead and pulled away from many of the nation's top female runners to win the Arcadia Invitational mile in 4:54.08.

Elsewhere, Rancho Buena Vista's Collin Jarvis stunned the 3,200-meter field, clocking a winning time of 8:58.15, while Rancho Bernardo sprinter Tenielle Stoudenmire finished second to two-event state champ Ashton Purvis of Oakland St. Elizabeth in the 100 and 200.

Coming into the 42nd annual meet, Silva was still looking for her first sub-5 minute time in the 1,600-meter or the longer mile.

“It's so much easier to run (without leading),” Silva said. “In this race, there were no slow runners and having people pull you along feels better. I had a lot left; I really wish the first half of the race had been faster.

“I like waiting to sprint – I guess I'm a wimp.”

After a relatively slow 880, Silva found herself in sixth place, worried that she might get boxed in and not be able to get out in time to use her speed.

With 300 yards remaining, Silva took off and passed three runners on the back straightaway. As she came off the final turn, she burst past the final two competitors, looking much faster than anyone, including third-place finisher Jacque Taylor of Petaluma Casa Grande, the second-place finisher in the state 1,600 last year.

“At the turn, I knew I won it,” Silva said. “I know I can go under (4:50).”

She also plans to fare a lot better at the state meet where last year she didn't even make it to the finals, failing to qualify in the prelims.

Her 4:54.08 is the No. 4 mile time in the nation this year and when converted to 4:52.68 for 1,600 meters, is No. 7 all-time in the section.

Jarvis won his race in the same manner, heading into the final 400 in sixth place and making a furious charge the final 200 meters to clock the 12th fastest time in section history.

It was the first sub-9 minute time since El Camino's A.J. Acosta ran 8:43.26 in 2006.

“I didn't look at the clock; I just wanted to compete,” the Longhorns senior said. “It's a huge indicator that I can be competitive at state. This is such a big meet with so many good runners.”

Stoudenmire's day included placing second in the 200 at 24.04, which is the fourth fastest time in section history, as well as finishing second in the 100 at 12.04, just back of her seasonal best 11.93.

“I'm just happy that I finished,” said a winded Stoudenmire after the 200. “I realized my start wasn't that good and that I felt tight on the curve, so I didn't think I could finish second.”

Other section-leading marks included a 48.50 by Mission Hills' Joe Cooks in the 400; Steele Canyon's time of 42.19 in the 400-meter relay and 3:22.47 in the 1600-relay; a 10:31.82 in the 3,200 by RB's Molly Grabill to edge Torrey Pines' Megan Morgan (10:31.91) for fourth; a 12-1 in the vault by Westview's Kourtney Ross of Westview and 38-0½ triple jump by Morse's Sherie Key.